Drinking Beer in Charlotte

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So I thought it was time that Charlotte got some recognition for it's totally awesome brewing industry. Especially since that would have been a punch-line 3 years ago. As a local home brewer and avid beer fan, I am ecstatic about what I'm seeing, not only in NC regarding the beer industry, but also in the QC.

Highlights since Jan 2011:

NoDa Brewery Opens

Birdsong Brewery Opens

Heist Brewery Opens

Triple C Brewery ALMOST open

World of Beer ALMOST open

The 1st Annual Queen City Brewers Festival takes place

The 3rd Annual Charlotte Craft Beer week takes place

Zane Lamprey visits Charlotte with Drinking Made Easy

The head Brewmaster for GUINNESS BREWERY will be visiting Charlotte March 1st in anticipation for St. Patty's day - pubs unknown, but I've got some ideas on where to find that man.

Anyone got anything else they can think of?

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I've heard there's a Brewpub in the works (um, being brewed up?) in NoDa, but I don't know much beyond that. On the NC-scale, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium are both working on production/distribution facilities and tap rooms south of Asheville.

The really great thing is just how quickly the local brews have been accepted and supported everywhere. It's hard to find a (good) restaurant that doesn't have at least one local on tap. Between OMB, Four Friends, NoDa and Birdsong, there's some great variety out there. Saturday afternoon tap room crawls are becoming a thing!

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^Coincidentally, I just made my first batch of homebrew ever. I'm really psyched at how well it came out, can't wait to do another beer! There's at least one local brew supply store that I know of. Lots of fun to browse. I'll probably be heading there for my next ingredient set.

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yeah, you've got the ebrew location on south blvd and then the one down in gastonia. both very awesome. the best advice i can give any new home brewer is to sanitize, sanitize and sanitize. then once you finish that i'd go ahead a sanitize. you can never be clean enough when brewing. oh, that and be patient. good beer comes with time.

The head Brewmaster for GUINNESS BREWERY will be visiting Charlotte March 1st in anticipation for St. Patty's day - pubs unknown, but I've got some ideas on where to find that man.

Anyone got anything else they can think of?

Ass Clown Brewing opens in Cornelius, complete with tap room -- although the hours (M-F 9:30-5:30, by appointment??) are a little rough for those of us that work a normal schedule. They were scheduled to be at the QCBF, but I didn't attend so I can't report.

I have been brewing for about 12 years and have been loving beer a lot longer than that, so it certainly has been exciting times in Charlotte lately.

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Bork - Great point, there are sooo many more places you can actually drink quality beer now. Needless to say it's a great time to be a beer drinker.

It's great to see whats happening here in Charlotte. What would it take to get a decent beer garden in place in Romare Bearden Park? Are there any current restrictions over this type of thing? When I say beer garden, I'm talking "Munich style" (basically a shed that serves beer and there are some benches set up out front). I'd seriously never leave on a nice spring day.

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Skull Coast Ales (soon to be Skull Coast Brewing), is now "located" in Fort Mill, but will be opening a Taproom and Brewery in NC very soon. They haven't released where exactly in the state it will be located but I'm hoping that because they currently reside in Fort Mill that it will be located locally here in Charlotte. http://www.skullcoastbrewing.com/

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Don't forget some of the great places that are (fairly) new to enjoy a good beer and focused on good beer...

Liberty (little bit older than 1/11)

Growlers in Noda

VBGB

Second location of Common Market (South End)

Vintner in Arboretum

..and a focus in a lot of newer restaurants on local and craft beers (thinking Smalls, The Q downtown, even the Park Lanes upfit is supposed to have 30+ beers on tap)

I'd add to that Revolution (about the same age as Liberty I guess, maybe 3 years old), and the new location of Duckworth's with its expanded draft menu. Two of my favorite places for constantly changing selections of hard to find or downright wild beers.

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Hubby's birthday tonight and since we just moved to University City area we decided to go to Flying Saucer. Great time and great beer. Both signed up for beer club and both shirts which gave us a card and a free brunch on Sunday!

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Hubby's birthday tonight and since we just moved to University City area we decided to go to Flying Saucer. Great time and great beer. Both signed up for beer club and both shirts which gave us a card and a free brunch on Sunday!

Welcome to the neighborhood!...the saucer is still the best spot up here

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OK, I'll open by saying that I love a place with a great beer selection, but.....

World of beer is just too damn complicated for easy and relaxed drinking. I sat at the bar and was given a draft (two page) and bottle (9 pages!) menu. I had the draft menu taken out of my hands because it was 'yesterdays' and then replaced with the Monday version. I asked why two Birdsong beers were on tap but not on the draft menu -- the bartender said that local beers were listed on a separate chalk board.....

was I had to get a Copper to drink while I studied the bottle list.

First thing I noticed was that Boddingtons and some kind of 'Banana Bread Ale" were listed under "English Bitters" (ugh) Second thing I noticed was that half of the bottle menu appeared to be from Belgium (ugh x2). When I ordered an Australian lager that I liked it took more than 10 minutes for the bartender to find it in the cooler. I saw several beers in the cooler that did not appear on the list (Fullers ESB).

While they do not serve food they do provide menus from several nearby restaurants (Tavern on the tracks, Carrabaras, Greek Isles, Fuel and Saucemans). You order on your own but its like a picnic (no plates or napkins provided).

On the plus side the staff seemed like they wanted to do a good job (one bartender asked me about Australian beers they should have and offered to call me when they finally get VB in cans).And its a very nice place (exposed brick etc.) despite its newness.

Overall, too complicated for me, but that could just mean I am getting old.

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Welcome to the neighborhood!...the saucer is still the best spot up here

Meant to reply before this. Love Saucer and already joined the club and have had my first brunch as well. The beers are great, but even more is the sense of already seeing regulars and feeling of a hood.

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My wife and I went to World of Beer tonight around 6:00. Honestly I didn't think this place was that big! But it's huge! The place was definitely hopping, but not too busy to find a couple bar stools. We had some excellent beers and ciders, and joined the frequent visitor club, which has some rewards for 50, 100, 250, etc. tasted beers. You get 2 pints for free with the $15 membership, which basically pays for it minus a couple dollars (and you get a coozie). The few people that serviced us were VERY knowledgable about beer. Every variety, every taste, and they knew how to pick something that was exactly what we asked for by description. As far as the 560 beers in bottles, there was no delay after ordering a bottle - the bartender went directly to the beer when we ordered it.

Maybe the first week was just a little rough because it was new. But from our experience tonight, I think they have their game down now.

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My wife and I went to World of Beer tonight around 6:00. Honestly I didn't think this place was that big! But it's huge! The place was definitely hopping, but not too busy to find a couple bar stools. We had some excellent beers and ciders, and joined the frequent visitor club, which has some rewards for 50, 100, 250, etc. tasted beers. You get 2 pints for free with the $15 membership, which basically pays for it minus a couple dollars (and you get a coozie). The few people that serviced us were VERY knowledgable about beer. Every variety, every taste, and they knew how to pick something that was exactly what we asked for by description. As far as the 560 beers in bottles, there was no delay after ordering a bottle - the bartender went directly to the beer when we ordered it.

Maybe the first week was just a little rough because it was new. But from our experience tonight, I think they have their game down now.

I'm glad your trip worked out better. It is my understanding that, much like the ladies up at the Flying Saucer, WOB requires their staff to go through a pretty rigorous beer class prior to employment.

Beer-school...now THERE is some homework I wouldn't have minded doing!

per the twitterverse, Bev is in Asheville today to announce New Belgium's new facility there at 4. I guess we'll know for sure at 4.

Also, just as an FYI, this was confirmed. We will all be drinking New Belgium beer that was brewed in Asheville by 2015. Plus it's going to create close to 150 jobs. Where do I sign up!?